Aussie captain Steve Smith led from the front as the visitors dominated the first day of third Test against India in Ranchi. India started strongly, removing four quick wickets but Smith and surprise inclusion Glenn Maxwell produced a 159-run stand for the fifth wicket to swing the momentum in their favour.
For India, Umesh Yadav got two wickets — those of Matt Renshaw and Peter Handscomb. Spinners Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin took a wicket each.
Australia 1st innings: 299 for four in 90 overs (Steven Smith batting 117, Glenn Maxwell batting 82, Matt Renshaw 44; Umesh Yadav 2/63).
At Stumps on Day 1 of the 3rd @Paytm Test, Australia are 299/4 (Smith 117*, Maxwell 82*) #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/gYhuHGx265
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 16, 2017
Australia 1st Innings
Over 90 || Score 299/4 (Steve Smith 117; Glenn Maxwell 84)
Day 1 STUMPS
41 runs in the last ten overs, and a 159-run stand between Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell put Australia in complete control.
Over 85 || Score 279/4 (Steve Smith 109; Glenn Maxwell 74)
Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have added 139 runs for the fifth wicket as Australia dominated the post Tea session today.
Smith reached his 19th Test hundred with a single off the fifth ball in 83rd over. His knock has been brilliant.
Over 80 || Score 257/4 (Steve Smith 97; Glenn Maxwell 65)
Aussies in control now. Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell have added 117 runs in 227 balls.
In the 80th over, Smith and Wriddhiman Saha wrestled with the Indian wicketkeeper going for a catch even as the ball remained stuck inside Aussie captain's pad. Dead ball.
Over 74.1 || Score 242/4 (Steve Smith 94; Glenn Maxwell 53)
Umpires changes the ball, after 74.1 overs' play. And DRINKS taken.
Earlier, Glenn Maxwell reached his maiden Test fifty with a six, off the bowling of Ravindra Jadeja in the 74th over. Good, patient knock from a rather flambouyant player.
Over 70 || Score 222/4 (Steve Smith 92; Glenn Maxwell 35)
82-run stand between Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell deflated Indian attack, and in the absence of skipper Virat Kohli, who is injured, Aussies are taking control of things.
Over 66 || Score 210/4 (Steve Smith 86; Glenn Maxwell 29)
A brilliant phase of play for the Aussies with Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell in charge. Their stand is now worth 70 in 23.4 overs.
For India, Ravindra Jadeja and Ishant Sharma are on.
Over 60 || Score 194/4 (Steve Smith 80; Glenn Maxwell 19)
The unbeaten 54-run stand between Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell helped Australia control the proceedings post Lunch in Ranchi.
Smith needs another 20 runs to score his second hundred of the tour, while Maxwell another 19 runs to post his highest Test score.
They have added another 18 runs in the last five overs.
India will look to take at quick wickets when play resume after TEA.
At Tea on Day 1 of the 3rd @Paytm Test, Australia are 194/4 (Smith 80*, Maxwell 19*) #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/1w9lH9jDru
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 16, 2017
Over 55 || Score 176/4 (Steve Smith 69; Glenn Maxwell 13)
It's spin from both the ends in Ranchi — Ashwin and Jadeja.
For Australia, Steve Smith is on course for yet another hundred. He and Glenn Maxwell have added 36 runs for the fifth wicket.
Over 50 || Score 160/4 (Steve Smith 61; Glenn Maxwell 7)
Ravichandran Ashwin returned. Tidy spell from India's premier spinner.
Australia have added another nine runs in the last five overs. But for them, most importantly, skipper Steve Smith is still there, batting beautifully.
Over 45 || Score 151/4 (Steve Smith 58; Glenn Maxwell 3)
Umesh Yadav struck for the second time today. The pacer produced a perfect yorker to send Peter Handscomb back in the hut.
WICKET: Peter Handscomb lbw b Umesh Yadav 19 (47b)
That happened off the second ball of the 43rd over.
New man for Australia is Glenn Maxwell, the star who's a Test newbie. He has a history with Ashwin.
Meanwhile, Steve Smith moved past his 31st Test fifty.
Aussies have added another 19 runs in the last five overs, losing a wicket.
Over 40 || Score 132/3 (Steve Smith 48; Peter Handscomb 13)
Aussies continue rebuilding their innings with skipper Steve Smith leading the charge.
They have added another 14 runs in the last five overs.
For India, Umesh Yadav returned for another spell. But Ravindra Jadeja has been the constant from another end.
Over 35 || Score 118/3 (Steve Smith 37; Peter Handscomb 10)
Ishant Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja operating in tandem for India. Post Lunch, India have managed to keep the visitors silent.
In the last three overs, Australia have added another seven runs, with Steve Smith keeping a close vigil. Two of those seven runs coming off a missfield.
Over 32 || Score 111/3 (Steve Smith 35; Peter Handscomb 7)
Two quick overs after Lunch – a maiden from Ishant Sharma and a double from Ravindra Jadeja's over.
At Lunch on Day 1 of the 3rd @Paytm Test, Australia -109/3 (Smith 34*, Renshaw 44). Follow the game here - https://t.co/d3NMQQCro5 #INDvAUS pic.twitter.com/TW1HyGsXyw
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 16, 2017
Over 30 || Score 109/3 (Steve Smith 34; Peter Handscomb 6)
Australia have added another 20 runs in the last five overs losing the wicket of Shaun Marsh.
Marsh became Ravichandran Ashwin's lone scalp.
WICKET: Shaun Marsh c Cheteshwar Pujara b R Ashwin 2 (8b)
India managed to take three vital wickets to take the honours on Day 1, so far.
THAT'S LUNCH
Over 25 || Score 89/2 (Steve Smith 21; Shaun Marsh 1)
India got another breakthrough, this time Umesh yadav getting the credit of good bowling.
WICKET: Matt Renshaw c Virat Kohli b Umesh Yadav 44 (69b)
That happened off the third ball of the 23rd over.
Australia added another 25 runs in the last five overs.
Over 20 || Score 76/1 (Matt Renshaw 40; Steve Smith 15)
The second-wicket stand between Matt Renshaw and Steve Smith is worth 26 runs now.
Ravindra Jadeja is keeping everyone interested. He's got yet another shout, huge one. But India opted not to take the review. Wise one. Both LBW and catch.
Renshaw seemed expose, in front, but a double play.
Over 15 || Score 64/1 (Matt Renshaw 35; Steve Smith 8)
DRINKS
14 runs in the last five overs as Aussies rebuild their innings. Drinks, after an entertaining first hour's play.
Matt Renchaw is batting brilliantly. He is already on 35 off 43 balls.
Over 10 || Score 50/1 (Matt Renshaw 29; Steve Smith 0)
Ravindra Jadeja struck in his first over, removing dangerous David Warner. Caught and bowl.
WICKET: David Warner c & b Ravindra Jadeja 19 (26b)
That happened off the fourth ball of the over. Lucky, one would say.
This summed up pretty well,
Warner has shown his commitment to the spirit of cricket by getting out to a ball that didn't land on this doctored pitch
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) March 16, 2017
Steve Smith is the new man for the visitors.
Meanwhile, Indian are operating with two spinners, with R Ashwin bowling from the other end.
Over 5 || Score 22/0 (Matt Renshaw 16; David Warner 6)
This is brilliant start from the Aussie openers. Scoring at brisk pace, and in control. Yes, Indian pacers asked some good questions, but they were not good enough to fetch wickets.
Over 3 || Score 10/0 (Matt Renshaw 8; David Warner 2)
Lot of action in the first three overs' play in Ranchi. Ishant Sharma just got a huge shout for a LBW against Matt Renshaw. But the delivery just pitched outside.
A ball later, Renshaw got a four, second of the day. That happened off the fifth ball of the third over.
Sharma is sharing new ball with Umesh Yadav.
Meaning Murali Vijay is back, in place of his Tamil nadu mate Abhinav Mukund. Vijay is playing his 50th game. For the Aussies, Pat Cummins and Glenn Maxwell are in. Huge call.
Here are the Teams:
India: Lokesh Rahul, Murali Vijay, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli (c), Ajinkya Rahane, Karun Nair, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma
Australia: David Warner, Matt Renshaw, Steven Smith (c), Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Steve O'Keefe, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood
TOSS: Steve Smith won the toss, and elected to bat first in Ranchi.
New Delhi: After the decision review system (DRS) drama in Bengaluru, world's top two ranked teams India and Australia now head to Ranchi for the all-important third Test match of the series.
India, thanks to their 75-run win and the bragging rights earned after Aussie skipper Steve Smith was caught seeking advice on the DRS call, will start as the favourites.
Preview
India won the second Test in Bengaluru to leave the series tantalisingly poised at 1-1 but simmering tensions boiled over when the hosts` captain accused his opposite number of abusing the DRS.
The controversy surrounding the DRS and the subsequent mud-slinging between the two camps will add spice to the match.
Interestingly, the International Cricket Council (ICC), which decided not to punish either Virat Kohli or Steve Smith over the flare-up, has called the two skippers together for clear-the-air talks ahead of the match.
But former players on both sides have again been stirring things up ahead of Ranchi, a match in which India must avoid defeat if they want to win back the Border-Gavaskar trophy.
Australia`s hopes suffered a double blow last week when allrounder Mitchell Marsh and pace spearhead Mitchell Starc were ruled out of the last two Test with injuries.
India`s concerns are centred on the form of Kohli who has totalled just 40 runs in the series after scoring double centuries in the last four Test series.
The meeting between Smith and Kohli was agreed to by their respective boards amid warnings the series risked degenerating into anarchy.
India were furious when Smith was spotted looking up at his dressing-room for guidance on whether to seek a review of the umpire`s decision after being given out LBW– a clear breach of the DRS rules.
While Smith called it a one-off "brain fade", Kohli said it was not an isolated incident – a claim the Australia board branded "outrageous".
Squads
India: Virat Kohli (capt), Murali Vijay, Lokesh Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav, Karun Nair, Jayant Yadav, Kuldeep Yadav, Abhinav Mukund.
Australia: Steve Smith (capt), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Jackson Bird, Peter Handscomb, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Shaun Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Steve O`Keefe, Matthew Renshaw, Pat Cummins, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Matthew Wade.
TV listing: Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD 1 — ENGLISH; Star Sports 3, Star Sports HD 3 — HINDI
Live streaming: Hotstar
Date: Mar 16-20, 2017
Time: 9:30 IST (Everyday)
Venue: JSCA International Cricket Stadium, Ranchi
(With Agency inputs)
